Murder-suicide claims two lives

A Price couple is dead following an apparent murder/suicide which took place early Sunday morning in southwest Price. Four children who were home at the time of the incident were rescued by police just before their parents' bodies were discovered.

According to Price Police, David Scott Donaldson, 37, called public safety dispatch at 2:28 a.m. on Feb. 10 and reported that he had shot his wife, Shaniel Kaye Donaldson, 32, and intended to shoot himself.

Law enforcement officers including the Carbon County SWAT team converged on the couple's home at 600 West 300 South in Price, unsure of what was happening inside the residence but focused on saving as many lives as possible.

Once on scene, officers worked to safely remove the couple's four minor children who ranged in age from 13 to seven. Other team members tried to contact the husband and wife inside their master bedroom.

"We never made contact with either of the deceased once we reached the residence," said Price Police Capt. Bill Barnes. "Our only information came from the 911 call and that conversation was cut off by Donaldson after his initial statement."

After moving the children to safety, Carbon County SWAT breached the bedroom and discovered the bodies.

"Breaching a situation like this is always difficult because you don't know what is going on inside the home," continued Barnes. "You don't know if someone is still alive and intends to engage an officer. You have to make entry to retrieve possible victims but you also have to be aware of your own safety and the safety of your fellow officers."

According to Price Police, the weapon used in both fatal shootings has been identified as a 12 gauge shotgun. Police reported that the Donaldson's four children were not physically harmed during the altercation and are in the care of family members.

A Price native and long-time resident, Scott Donaldson graduated from Carbon High School in 1993 and had most recently been employed by the State of Utah's Juvenile Justice Services as a Counselor Tech II. His employment with the state terminated in August 2012, according to JJS spokesperson Liz Sollis.

Shaniel Donaldson, whose maiden name was Oliver, also graduated from Carbon High School and later attended the College of Eastern Utah, where she received her Associate's Degree. She obtained her Registered Nurses' certification in 2006 and went on to work for the past seven years as a Home Health and Hospice professional for Community Nursing Services. They were married on May 8, 1999 in Price.